THE NEW PANDA IS COMING... CELEBRATING ITS FIRST 40 YEARS!
- To celebrate its first 40 years, Fiat presents the New Panda: more Eco, more Tech and more Fun.
- The New Panda Sport is aimed at a young and dynamic customer and is an expansion to the “Fiat Sport family”, currently consisting of the 500X, 500L and Tipo models.
- The New Panda has so many new features: 7'' touchscreen radio, new bumpers, two new and exclusive Ceramic Blue and Matt Gray liveries, new interiors with seats and dashboard in recycled materials, exclusive 16" alloy wheels.
- A new line-up with three new souls: Life, for customers who live life in the city to the full; Sport, for those with an active lifestyle; Cross, for those who also use their car to explore the great outdoors.
- There is also a wide range of trim levels: Panda, City Life, Sport, City Cross and Cross.
- The only city car available in Hybrid, Petrol 4x4, CNG and LPG-powered versions.
- The most democratic hybrid on the market, the 70 hp 1.0 FireFly Hybrid engine, is now available on all versions in the line-up.
The New Panda is celebrating its first 40 years and to do so, Fiat is renewing its functional icon and expanding the family with the New Panda Sport. The line-up now includes 5 trim levels, to represent the model's three new souls. It will now be easier to choose the version that best meets the tastes and requirements of a customer more attentive to city style, the Life soul in the Panda and City Life trim levels. For those who prefer a dynamic and characterful life, the Sport soul in the new Sport version; or for those with a yearning wanderlust, the Cross soul in the City Cross and Cross trim levels.
The New Panda therefore represents the natural evolution of an invention that has for 40 years always been synonymous with charm, ease of use and versatility. Panda is all this and so much more: a ‘brand’ packed with functional and emotional value, symbol of freedom to travel, but also a product that has become part of the collective unconscious, just like other results of Italian creativity: from the Fiat 500 to the Vespa Piaggio, from the Moka Bialetti to Bruno Munari’s Cubo ashtray.
“From 1980 to the present day, Fiat’s iconic city car has won everyone’s hearts by breaking so many records: the overall best seller in Italy for 8 years running and the leader – together with the 500 – in the European city car market, with over 375,000 models sold per year”, said Luca Napolitano, Head of EMEA Fiat, Lancia & Abarth Brands. “Factors in this success include the many special series launched in recent years to explore uncharted territory for a city car. Some of the latest special series – the 2018 Panda Waze and the 2019 Panda Wind and Panda Trussardi, known as “the most social” and “the Luxury Panda” respectively – have helped to make it the best-selling city car in Europe. The baton is now being passed to the New Panda, which reaches full maturity by taking another leap forward in terms of respect for the environment, technology, distinctiveness, fun and functionality. Panda has always excelled in all these fields, with ingenious solutions that have enabled the ‘magic box’ to evolve over the years, while always remaining true to itself”.
The New Panda is the only city-car in the segment to boast a full range in terms of traction (4x2 and 4x4) and of engines (Hybrid, Petrol 4x4, CNG and LPG). All enveloped in a familiar, robust and reassuring ‘form’ that immediately conjures up charm and complicity, when driven in both the city and on the remotest mountainside. Let alone the specifics that have brought it worldwide renown: compact exterior dimensions, configurable large interior space and original color combinations.
The world of ‘Life’, in the Panda and City Life versions
The first variation in the new urban world of ‘Life’ is the Panda trim level, the gateway to the line-up: an accessible car packed with smart solutions, making it ideal for every kind of travel or transfer. The second trim is the genuine new feature in this soul: the New Panda City Life, the linchpin of the line-up, aimed at those who look for the best ratio between price and product substance in a city car, without sacrificing an attractive and distinctive style. The design of the Panda City Life includes new front bumpers, a brand-new insert in the side skirts and the new 15" ‘Life’ wheel rims, a perfect combination with the various contrasting black elements included as standard: from the roof rack to the side protective bands, from the wing mirror housing to the external handles. The urban soul is also showcased inside the passenger compartment, which includes two-tone gray seats and anthracite-colored dashboard, manual air conditioning and Uconnect system complete with DAB radio, Bluetooth 2.1 technology and a special smartphone mount installed on the dashboard (with the new 7” touchscreen radio with DAB digital system, set up for Apple CarPlay and compatible with Android Auto™ and smartphone bracket on demand).
The brand-new Panda Sport, for customers with an active lifestyle
Aimed at a young, dynamic customer attracted to a sporty, characterful style, the New Panda Sport complements the “Fiat Sport family”, currently consisting of the 500X, 500L and Tipo models.
The new version is instantly recognizable from its distinctive aesthetics: the new two-tone 16" alloy wheels with black and red rim covers; the handles and wing mirror housing in the same color as the bodywork, on demand in gloss black paired with a black roof (optional); and the exclusive chrome “sport” logo on the side panel, above the direction indicator. A new and exclusive Matt Gray livery is also available.
The same bold features can also be found in the interiors, where the standouts include the new titanium-colored dashboard, specific door panels in eco-leather, black ceiling and new seats with dark gray upholstery, techno-leather details, fabric side panels and red stitching. And for the customer who wants an even bolder image, the New Panda Spot can be fitted on demand with the Pandemonio Pack – a clear homage to the kit launched in 2006 on the on the Panda 100 HP – which includes red brake calipers, blacked-out windows and the new techno-leather steering wheel with red stitching.
Finally, features as standard include the new 7'” touchscreen radio with DAB digital system, set up for Apple CarPlay and compatible with Android Auto™, and a smartphone bracket.
The Cross and City Cross versions, for freedom-seekers
The third New Panda soul is ‘Cross’, available in the City Cross and Cross trims, with a distinctive and off-road character. Both versions are available with 4x2 and 4x4 traction, and can now be methane-powered.
Specifically, the New Panda City Cross was designed for customers looking for a city car resembling an off-roader, at an accessible price: it is therefore a vehicle to take a break from the daily routine, to immerse yourself in exciting urban adventures. Aesthetically, the new model comes with the new Ceramic Blue pastel livery, a perfect combination with the new two-tone (blue and black) techno-leather upholstery on the door panels and seats, the latter embellished by silver-colored stitching and fabric side panels. In the center of the dashboard is the new 7” touchscreen radio (optional) and automatic air conditioning, which comes as standard. The new Panda City Cross is complemented by LED DRL headlights and features in black, such as the roof rack and side sills, which accentuate its urban look.
Finally, the new line-up is completed by the Panda Cross, the top-of-the-range trim level with an off-road character and appearance and the best equipment for those who want an all-inclusive car. It features stylish new 15" wheel rims, double red tow hook below the bumper grille, chrome paintwork for skid plates, roof rack and side shock absorber bands with the wording ‘cross’ in relief in black.
The wide range of equipment as standard includes rear parking sensors, automatic air conditioning, leather steering wheel, new black techno-leather door panels, new 'woody’ dashboard in recycled materials and new 7” touchscreen radio complete with DAB digital radio, set up for Apple CarPlay and compatible with Android Auto™ and smartphone bracket. Other new features: two-tone seats made with sustainability in mind, the center panel of which are spun with a special eco-friendly fabric with at least 37” recycled plastic from the land. The seats are embellished with brown side stitching in fabric, eco-leather details and specific “cross” logo.
New-generation infotainment
For the first time on the model comes the new radio 7” Touchscreen with DAB digital radio, set up for Apple CarPlay and compatible with Android Auto™ and smartphone bracket. In particular, Apple CarPlay seamlessly integrates your smartphone into the display, so users can make calls, access their music, send and receive messages, get directions based on traffic conditions and much more besides, while remaining focused on the road at all times.
The new Mild Hybrid engine is now available across the line-up
Launched in February on the Panda Hybrid Launch Edition, the exclusive special series that debuted at the same time as the 500 Hybrid Launch Edition, Mild Hybrid technology is now available across the New Panda line-up, providing all the benefits of efficient, compact, lightweight and accessible hybrid driving. In short, it is the best city car solution and is perfectly in line with the approach taken by Fiat, an increasingly sustainable pioneer of technology and an innovator in mobility.
The gasoline Mild Hybrid engine pairs the new Euro 6D Final-compliant 70 hp (51.5 kW) 3-cylinder 1-liter engine from the FireFly family with a BSG (Belt-integrated Starter Generator) electric motor. The latter recovers energy during braking and deceleration, stores it in a lithium battery with a capacity of 11 Ah, and uses it, at a peak output of 3.6 kW, to restart the engine in Stop&Start mode and to assist acceleration.
Compared to the 1.2 69 hp Fire, the Panda’s Mild Hybrid engine improves fuel efficiency and reduces CO2 emissions by up to 30%, guaranteeing the same performance and ensuring a very high standard of comfort, even when restarting. The BSG system also means the internal combustion engine can restart very quietly and vibration-free when stopping and setting off again.
The transmission takes on the new 6-speed gearbox, designed to further optimize the engine’s range of usage. The New Panda Hybrid also gives customers access to all the advantages of hybrid vehicle homologation, which – depending on local regulations – include freedom of access and movement in city centers, cheaper parking in towns and tax breaks.
D-Fence pack by Mopar
On demand, the New Panda can also be fitted with the new D-Fence by Mopar pack, consisting of three devices for optimum car hygiene: a filter that stops impurities getting into the car from outside, blocks particulates and practically 100% of allergens, and reduces the formation of mold and bacteria by 98%; a purifier for the air inside the passenger compartment, which filters out micro-particles such as pollen or bacteria; and a UV lamp to cleanse all the contact surfaces in our cars: the steering wheel, the gear stick, and the seats.
Forty years of records in its segment, excelling in the fields of Eco, Tech, Distinctiveness and Fun
To retrace the history of the Fiat Panda is to leaf through an album of four decades of the memories of a car that has evolved yet stayed current, while always remaining true to itself. The secret of the success of Fiat’s epitome of a city car lies in its suitability for any occasion. Since its launch at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show, the Panda has become known as a magic box packed full of original, ingenious and surprising ideas. To evoke the Italian icon’s 40 years of success, the brand has produced three videos – focused on Powertrain, Style and Smart Solutions – in which Luca Napolitano, Head of EMEA Fiat, Lancia & Abarth Brands, harks back to the past to reveal the Panda’s secrets and looks forward to the future of this timeless model.
In a nutshell, Panda has always been an innovator in its segment. For example, in the Eco field, the Panda Elettra (1990) was one of the first mass-produced electric cars in Europe, whereas the Panda Natural Power (2006) was the first methane-powered vehicle to be mass-produced, followed one year later by the LPG-fueled Panda EasyPower. This year, the Panda Hybrid Launch Edition, together with the 500, is the first Fiat car with a Mild Hybrid engine, ready to revolutionize urban mobility. In terms of technological innovation, the Fiat model is unparalleled: back in 1983, it was the first 4x4 city car and in 2013, was the first in its class to offer automatic emergency braking. It cannot be denied that its distinctive character has fascinated both the general public and the specialist international press: no less than the prestigious titles of “Car of the Year” (2004), the first in its segment to receive that award, and “4x4 of the Year 2019”, bestowed by the UK 4x4 Magazine. An illustrious history of records also continues in the field of ‘fun’: in 2004, it was the first city car to 5,200 meters at Everest Base Camp, and in 2017, a Panda Cross 4x4 completed the legendary Dakar Rally, coming in as the first Italian car, the first Fiat model and the first vehicle derived from a standard subcompact to accomplish this feat. The Fiat Panda has broken even more records: having reached a figure of almost 8 million units sold over 40 years, it continues to reign over sales in Italy this year – as the best-selling car overall for 8 years running, and has confirmed its leading position in Europe with growth of 3 points of market share and achieving the best market share from the Panda launch in 2012 (17,1%).
FCA Bank supports the sales of FIAT
FCA Bank, the captive bank of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Crédit Agricole Consumer Finance, supports the sales of FIAT vehicles by providing a broad range of financing solutions to help customers to purchase or lease their new FIAT Panda. Anybody who wishes to drive the new Fiat Panda, with more technology, connectivity and a green soul, can opt for one of the following products: Instalment Loan: Traditional financing that allows the buyer to pay for the vehicle over an extended period of time; Leasing and PCP (Personal Contract Purchase): Highly flexible solutions with low monthly payments and the possibility to choose, on the contract expiration date, whether to return, keep or replace the car with a new one; Private Lease: A solution for drivers who do not want to own the vehicle, with the ensuing costs and uncertainties, involving a single monthly payment inclusive of the main insurance, assistance and infomobility services for a peace-of-mind experience. All of FCA Bank’s solutions are intended not only for individuals but also for companies and independent professionals. In addition, Leasys, a subsidiary of FCA Bank, makes available long-term car rental solutions for a totally relaxed driving experience. Moreover, FCA Bank provides a broad range of insurance products in combination with the financing contract, for both personal protection - such as Prestito Protetto, which ensures the repayment of part of the loan in case of sudden and unpredictable occurrences such as a job loss - and car protection. The financing and insurance solutions described are available in most European countries where the companies of the FCA Bank Group operate. All the structures are extremely flexible, to meet in full local requirements. In addition, Leasys, a subsidiary of FCA Bank, makes available long-term car rental solutions for a totally relaxed driving experience.
Turin, October 20, 2020